Student Speak

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! While this day can be the most romantic day of the year, it can also be difficult to plan a night out that doesn’t feel cheesy or cliché, whether you’re enjoying it with a special someone or your closest friends.

While my last two Valentine’s Days were spent playing video games with my significant other, I get that sometimes it’s important to get out of the house and do something fun in the name of love. So here are my top five suggestions to get the ball rolling, so you can plan a memorable day for you and your Valentine!

Last week the news broke that Target is calling it a day in Canada. The only evidence of their presence will be large, empty retail spaces with a dark bull’s-eye sign outside.

The Canadian launch was widely known to be a disaster. Shelves were empty and the communication of the brand lacking. The prices left much to be desired. As if it wasn’t bad enough, a debit and credit card breach closely followed.

The Target I frequented dodged the lack of stock issue since they opened weeks after the initial stores. I quickly became a huge fan. (In fact, on the day of the announcement, my entire outfit was from Target.) Clearly I was the minority… and that makes sense. I am not the target customer (pun completely intended). I’m single and have no kids. I have time to browse the aisles and admire the new necklaces, Hunter-style rain boots and hidden gems in the clothing department. I have no need for mega-discounted-extra-strong laundry detergent for my meager loads of laundry. I have the time to pull out my price comparison app at the checkout and have every single item price matched. I don’t care if I need to stop at an additional store on the way home for groceries.

I am sure everyone can imagine how delighted I was when I was asked if I wanted to touch on the importance of recent coverage of the UOIT Ridgebacks hockey team. Harrison Ruess, reporter with the Sun News Network and UOIT graduate, recently visited our very own Campus Ice Centre to check out a men’s Ridgebacks hockey game against the Nipissing Lakers.

As a former hockey player in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), I have to say it feels good to have some light shed on the talent and heart athletes have right here at home. To think of the impact hockey had on my overall educational experience at UOIT, I cannot help but feel anything but blessed. I joined the team in its third official year of CIS play and we grew from a last place team to losing out in double overtime playoffs to the nationally-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks. Needless to say, we were given the facilities and the support to help us grow into a healthy competing team.

Scott Barker is our Manager of Intercollegiate Sports here at UOIT. He says, “We provide a great service for student athletes and students on campus to prove and experience that when someone goes to university, it is something more than academics. It is an opportunity for people to get together in a social environment to enjoy sport.” Not only do we have family and students coming out to enjoy games, we have members of the Oshawa community rallying to support our athletes as well. It is rare you will come to a game and not see a generous crowd at the Campus Ice Centre. As a former student athlete, hockey was my outlet every day. It pushed me to be better in the classroom as well as on the ice. If you do not do well in the classroom you do not play, and I knew that I always wanted to play.

I've been at UOIT since the beginning. I was part of the first class that came to UOIT in fall 2003. UOIT was much different then - for example, the Polonsky Commons looked like this:

And while our campus has grown across two locations (and added some grass!) and our student body has surpassed 10,000 students, some things haven't changed. One of those is our commitment to research excellence.

The final week of exams is here and the end of the semester is so close we can almost taste it. For those of you who are finished, congratulations – you’ve made it! For those who are still spending late nights studying or writing papers, I’m right there with you counting down the days until December 17. In between the studying or the celebrating, there’s always a need to de-stress, relax and put your effort into something a little more therapeutic. For many, video games or catching up on Netflix may suffice, but for those looking to get their hands dirty and get their creative juices flowing again, there’s no better way to do that than at The LivingRoom Community Art Studio in downtown Oshawa.

Founded as a not-for-profit in September 2014, with a soft opening at their new 149 Simcoe Street South location just this past October, The LivingRoom Community Art Studio has been providing a safe and welcome place for people of all walks of life to create art. Inspired by the ArtHive movement out of Montreal, founder and executive director Mary Krohnert has built the studio from the ground up, with the intention to give community members the opportunity to utilize the studio as a creative outlet while also building relationships with others through low-cost workshops and classes.

It’s hard to believe it’s already November! With the first snow out of the way, and the busiest month of the school year ahead, November is already shaping up to be a great month – so make sure to take a few breaks and attend one or two of the awesome events going on in Oshawa.

Gearing up for Christmas, the city is spreading some holiday cheer with two must-attend events: the Oshawa Christmas tree lighting ceremony and after party, and the Santa’s Parade of Lights, all happening the second last weekend of November. Located in Memorial Park, the tree lighting ceremony has been a memorable event for many, and a tradition spanning 30 years. Head on over after work or class on Friday, November 21 at 6:45 p.m., where guests will help ring in the Christmas season with music from the Oshawa Civic Band and traditional Christmas carols performed by O'Neill Senior Chamber Choir, as well as free hot chocolate and live entertainment for all ages.

In the words of Ned Stark from Game of Thrones, winter is coming. It’s the time of year again – the roads get more slippery and I get more concerned that my little-car-that-can just won’t make it through another winter. In my attempt to be prepared for the worst, I’ve been researching cars to find out what my options are if good old Blue (what, don’t you name your car?) conks out on me. For someone who knows nothing about cars, and who up until last week didn’t realize that my car had a window lock (I’ve had my car for six years), trying to figure out what to look for in a car is a huge and daunting task.

As the warm, summer weather subsides and the cold, autumn weather makes an appearance, students will start finding outdoor activities slip very low on their list of things to do. Gone are the days of enjoying a patio with friends, and as the October days get shorter it’s time to find things to do inside. For some students, just hanging out at home or on campus with friends will be good enough, but for others, getting out is a great way to shake off the stress of class and experience more of the culture Oshawa has to offer.

For entertainment lovers, there’s nothing better than grabbing a few friends and seeing a local show. No, I don’t mean the newest release at the Cineplex down the road. What I mean is the Oshawa Little Theatre (OLT) – the 354-seat community theatre tucked between industrial buildings behind Simcoe Street and Taunton Road. This month, OLT raises the curtain on The Odd Couple, a classic comedy written by Neil Simon about the wacky relationships between a bunch of poker-playing buddies and their crazy upstairs neighbors.

I know what it’s like being a new university student, both in a new city and a familiar one (hello Oshawa!), so I definitely understand how hard it is to find something entertaining to do when not studying or in class. Despite what you may perceive at first glance, there’s more to the City of Oshawa than just a movie theatre and mall – it’s actually ripe with culture and history. From art shows and farmer’s markets to concerts at the General Motors Centre, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

This coming Saturday, September 27, Oshawa will welcome residents and visitors to experience the rich history of the city through Doors Open Oshawa. This annual event gives adventurous history lovers the chance to explore some of the city's most interesting and historically significant buildings and properties.